Never Forget
by turtle53
Summary: She always taught him to believe in anything, and now that she is gone, he needs to believe in himself.


**Finally adding an author's note to this. This story was a birthday present to ninja82, who has some pretty good stuff so go check her out!**

**enjoy the story=) reviews are greatly appreciated=D**

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><p>The Hospital Wing smells too clean, and the lights are too bright. Ron doesn't want to open his eyes.<p>

He feels pressure at the end of his bed, someone shifting positions. His heart jumps and he feels a spur of emotion.

_She is alive._

His eyes fly open; he wants to see her, wants to see her right now. He wants to take in every inch of her, to know that she is okay, that she is really here.

His heart sinks; it's not her but Harry. He feels guilty. His best friend is all right and all he can feel is angry that Harry isn't _her._

Harry smiles at him. From the bed next to him he hears laughter, a girl's laughter, and instantly looks to his left. _She is alive._

But he is disappointed; it isn't her. He should have known, that wasn't her laugh. Her laugh is lighter, more relaxed, a let-go-and-live laugh.

"G'morning," says Harry brightly, offering Ron toast. Ron pushes himself up and winces at the pain in his arms. Looking down he sees the scars lacing his arms and vaguely remembers something-brains?- wrapping its tentacles around him and squeezing tightly.

"Morning," replies Ron, accepting the toast and taking a large bite out of it.

"Good to see not even being attacked by a brain can ruin your appetite," laughs Ginny. She is curled up at the foot of the bed next to him, which belongs to Hermione. Hermione gives him a slight smile but it's obvious something is bothering her. Even Ron notices.

"What's up?" He gives her a look that tells her he knows something is wrong.

She shakes her head. "It's nothing, Ron." She tries to smile, but she can't.

Ron doesn't buy it. He glances around the room, checking the other beds, but no one else is there. This is wrong, all wrong. _She _should be here; she was hurt, she had been jinxed, she had fallen. She should be in the Hospital Wing.

"Where is Luna?" He wants-needs to know, needs to know now. He tries to meet Harry's eyes, Ginny's eyes, but neither will look at him. Desperately, he looks to Hermione. Tears have filled her eyes.

"Ron, I'm so sorry." She chokes on her tears, wipes her eyes.

"Where is she, Hermione? I need to see her." Why won't she tell him?

"Oh, Ron. Sh-she didn't-" Hermione is once again stopped by her tears. Ginny pulls her into a hug, patting her consolingly on the back. Tears are streaming down her face.

Ron can't take it. He grabs Harry's arm, forcing his green eyes to meet his own blue ones.

"Harry, tell me. Where is she?"

Harry stares at Ron grimly, the look in his eyes tearing Ron apart. It's pity, sorrow.

"She's gone, mate."

"No." Ron won't accept it. He had seen her fall, knew that it should be easy enough for Madam Pomfrey to fix her. "She was just jinxed-"

"It was Dolohov. He hit her with a Killing Curse-"

"-nothing Madam Pomfrey can't fix, I saw it-"

"She fell behind the veil, mate, just before Sirius." Tears pool in Harry's eyes but he needs to be strong for his best friend. Hermione and Ginny watch silently from their bed, each holding in their sobs.

Ron returns Harry's stare. It can't be true. She was just with him when he was last awake. She can't leave just like that, she couldn't have. She wouldn't have just left him.

But he remembers. He remembers the Death Eater towering over her, pointing his wand. He remembers screaming her name, telling her to run, but she doesn't have enough time. A spell forms on her lips just as the green light hits her and she falls, falls through the archway, behind the veil. Before he can do anything, the brain he has just summoned hits him, and he remembers nothing else.

"I'm sorry, mate."

"Get off."

Harry gives Ron a look he can't stand-he hates being pitied-but obliges. He moves to Hermione's bed and Ron pulls the curtains around his own.

He doesn't really want to be alone. But she isn't here and she is the only one who can help him.

Ron sits on the steps in front of the bell tower. He has a bottle cap necklace in his hands and it seems to have entranced him. He stares at it, twisting and turning it in his hand, as if he looks hard enough he will find that it really isn't a necklace at all.

He had asked her once, if it was really a necklace or if she had only made it seem to be a necklace. If in reality it was some incredible magical object. She was, after all, Luna Lovegood, and these things were often so with her.

She had laughed, lying in his arms in the grass near the lake. "Of course it is really a necklace. But why should that mean it isn't anything more?" Then he had kissed her, drawing her mouth up to his as another laugh formed on her lips.

She would always tell him to open his eyes, his mind, to everything, that he missed too many things because he didn't watch hard enough, long enough. She believed in so many things that no one else ever had, and she always tried to get Ron to believe.

Ron did believe. She had made him believe in her, that as long as she was there everything was better, that she would always be there, her small hand in his, and her radish earrings swaying.

And now she was gone, taking Ron's beliefs with her.

Suddenly he stood up and threw the necklace as far as he could. It landed with a soft thud in a bush twenty feet away, causing several butterflies to flee for safety.

The first time he had met Luna, he had made her laugh for five minutes straight without intending to do it; he had made fun of Goyle, and she found it hilarious. From then on he found that he enjoyed that ability to make her laugh-he liked the sound of it, so light and free.

He is angry with her. She left him. He wants to shout and yell and throw things but he's afraid that no one will understand. He's afraid they will tell him everything is okay but everything is not okay, and nothing will be for a very long time.

No one is here to listen to him. He has a few things to say.

"You promised! You told me that you would always be with me to make everything better! To make everything okay!"

She took him into the forest once to feed thestrals. He couldn't see them, but he trusted her to lead him to the right spot. Hands intertwined, they tossed meat and apples at an invisible target.

"They're nice creatures. But most people don't like them, they remind them of things no one wants to think about." She smiled sadly at Ron and gave his hand a small squeeze. Then she added,  
>"I hope you never get to see one."<p>

If he were to walk into the forest he was sure a thestral would be the first creature he met. He would be able to see them now, because of her.

"Everything is not okay!" He shouts into the wind and it takes his voice down to the lake, where only the Giant Squid cares to listen. "Everything is not okay! So where are you?"

If he were able to listen he would hear the footsteps behind him, the tears that Hermione was shedding, her face buried in Harry's shoulder as they watched their best friend grieve.

She had given him the necklace the day before he was to take his O.W.L.s.

"For luck." She smiled, taking it off her neck and putting it around his. "I know you'll do great."

She had always believed in him.

"You promised me! Where are you? WHY AREN'T YOU HERE?" He can't stand anymore; he falls to the ground and pulls his knees into his chest, sobbing. Before he knows it arms are around him and Hermione's face is in his shoulder, muttering consolingly but he can't hear a word of it. On his other side sits Harry, one arm around Ron and tears falling from his eyes.

"I don't want to remember her anymore," he whispers. "All I can do is remember, and I don't want to, not now."

His friends say nothing-Ron is talking himself through this and they know it.

"She promised me she would make everything better. Always." The tears are still coming.

They were sitting in their usual spot next to the lake, her hand in his as always. It is the anniversary of her mother's death and she is understandably in a solemn mood. But she is happier than any other year.

"It hurts less, with you here." She gives Ron a grateful smile and his heart breaks for her. He pulls her into a hug.

"I'll always be here for you, Luna, whenever you need me."

He feels her smile into his shoulder. "I know."

They lay back onto the grass, staring at the passing clouds, making shapes out of them, when she speaks again. "It's a natural part of life, you know."

He doesn't know-he is unsure of what she is speaking about. She senses this. "Death. People die all the time."

He looks at her. "It's okay to be sad about it, Luna."

She smiles-he isn't sure it actually ever left her face. "Oh, I know. Being sad is perfectly acceptable, as long as you don't stay so sad for so long."

He understands now. "As long as you move on."

She nods. "Move on, but never forget. The ones you lose are still with you, in a way. They aren't very far." Abruptly, she lets go of his hand and sits up, turning her body so that she is facing him. "Ron, I will always be there for you, you know that, right? No matter what."

"Of course I know that." He smiles at her and she relaxes, taking his hand and laying back down.

He can't help but wonder if she knew she was going to die.

"I miss her so much." Harry has gotten up but Hermione is still with him. "She's gone, and I can't do anything."

Hermione grips his hand tightly. "I'm sorry, Ron."

Harry has returned with something in his hands. He gives it to Ron, and Ron stares at it, twisting and turning it in his hand.

Ron moves his gaze from the necklace to Harry, and then to Hermione. His best friends.

He could remember Luna, as long as he didn't stay sad for too long. She had told him so herself. He has Harry and Hermione to help him move on. Move on, but never forget.

He pockets the necklace and stands up, still holding Hermione's hand. Silently, they walk back into the castle, and Ron believes in himself and his ability to get through this, just as Luna always believed in him.

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><p><strong>I made a graphic for this, not a very good one, but check it out if you like=)<strong>

**sidewalkfare(.)tumblr(.)com/post/7988250049/you-promised-you-told-me-that-you-would-always**


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